This invention relates generally to fishing lures of the spinner bait type which include a body and hook portion and a spinner blade for attracting fish.
It is known that fish are attracted by vibrations and other movements and that the more closely the movement of an artificial bait, such as a lure, imitates the natural movement of real bait, the more likely a fish will strike at the lure.
Spinners have long been used to enhance the effectiveness of lures. See, for instance, the spinner baits generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,143,824 and 4,209,932 which contain rotatable spinner elements. Spinners create a flash and a vibration which is believed to imitate the vibrations and light reflections created by the body of small swimming fish. Because of their rotational movement, however, spinners do not imitate the swimming motion of a fish as well as would be desired.
It is also well known that game fish may be located at various depths depending upon the prevailing conditions. To maximize the catch, a fisherman will attempt to maintain the lure at a particular depth for as great a distance as possible for each cast. Presently available spinner baits, however, follow the line as the lure is brought in, the lure generally moving through the water along an upwardly sloped path toward the raised tip of the rod. Thus, while the fisherman may prefer to fish the lure at a particular depth for given conditions, the lure passes through the preferred region only during a portion of its path when retrieved. Although the depth of these lures may be affected by the rate of return, i.e., the slower the return, the deeper the lure will run, or by the manner of return, i.e., a stop and go return will permit the lure to sink for short periods during the return, these techniques are not always convenient. For instance, it may be desirable to fish at the bottom of a relatively deep body of water but at a constant and rapid rate of return. It would be a great improvement, therefore, to provide a spinner bait which will maintain a desired depth as it is returned, even if returned at a rather rapid rate.